Doctor Who Season 8 Story 5 The House of Enigma
by Romana4Ever
Summary: On a strange planetoid The Doctor, Romana and Luke are put to the "Test" by an eccentric man who fancies himself the best detective in the universe. But when the Doctor meets Luke from the future and overhears his great-great-Granddaughter & his future self inside of a locked room, present day Luke must stop the Doctor from breaking the Laws of Time, a Second time!


**HOUSE OF ENIGMA**

The Doctor, Luke, Romana are standing around the console. K-9 is downloading information from the Matrix.

"So you remember how we were sent to fetch the six segments of the 'Key to Time'? I bet you can't remember what the name of the first planet was." The Doctor asked nonchalantly.

The Doctor was asking questions in a casual manner but Luke felt certain the Doctor was testing this woman. To see if she was the real Romana. Luke already knew she wasn't. But she was a real Time Lady. So who was she?

"Why Ribos of course Doctor." The one calling herself Romana answered. "Why are you testing me Doctor? I can answer most of your questions with ease." Romana boasted.

"And what was the first segment disguised as?" The Doctor asked.

"A piece of jethrik which was hidden among Ribos' crown jewels." Romana replied. "Anything else Doctor?"

"And the second?" The Doctor asked.

"The entire planet of Calufrax." Romana answered with a smile. "How long are we going to play twenty questions Doctor?" Romana asked with a sigh.

"Just indulge me a few more questions Romana." The Doctor replied with a smile. "After all, I wouldn't want to discover your the Rani now, would I?"

"The Rani?" Romana said in surprise. "I haven't heard that name in years. I read about her being expelled from Gallifrey. Not too many people have had that honor. Ay Doctor?" Romana asked pointedly.

"You were expelled from Gallifrey?" Luke asked in surprise. "I thought you left because you were bored. That's what Mom said."

"There were a number of reasons I and," The Doctor hesitated over the name for a second. "Susan left when and how we did."

"Didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories." Romana said.

"Anyway, who did you regenerate to look like?" The Doctor continued with his questioning of Romana.

"Princess Astra." Romana said as if reciting from a list. "I liked the looks of her. Nothing more then that."

"Oh!" The Doctor said excitedly. "We visited a planet where a person from Zolfa-Thura posed as me on what,"

"Tigella." Romana said in a bored tone of voice. "The leaders name was Zastor. Are you quite through with this childish game Doctor? I am Romana like I told you. There is no need to test me anymore."

The quiet voice of the Twelfth Doctor spoke into Luke's mind.

"Ask her about E-Space Luke." He suggested.

"When did you first meet Adric?" Luke asked.

Romana's face goes pale. She clearly had no knowledge of E-Space.

"I, uh, I'm not sure." Romana stammered.

"Surely you remember the name of his home world." Luke went on aggressively. "His brother's name? What happened to you while on that world?"

"Stop!" Romana said with a little laugh. "I did suffer some trauma when the Master undid the hypnosis. It may take some time for all of my memories to come back."

"Well, we'll try again later." The Doctor said nonchalantly but he was deeply suspicious of this woman posing as Romana.

The Doctor bent down to fix a small problem under the console. Luke watched Romana as she handed the Doctor various tools. He watched her carefully. She looked up briefly and smiled but Luke saw anger in her eyes. Luke knew she would be keeping a close eye on him. He needed to stay on his toes.

The Tardis is knocked off course. The Tardis materialized. The Doctor checked the scanners.

"So, we've been sent to a small artificial planetoid." The Doctor said in surprise. "I don't recall ever hearing of any planetoid in this part of the universe. First time for everything."

They exit the Tardis. K-9 tries to follow.

"K-9 why don't you stay here and keep an eye on the Tardis." The Doctor suggested. "Make sure no one tries steals it."

They see a huge creepy looking black mansion ahead.

"I bet we're suppose to investigate that house." Luke guessed.

"Sent?" Romana repeated. "What does he mean Doctor?"

"Nothing." The Doctor quickly said. "Just a figure of speech."

Luke quickly got the hint that the Doctor did not want this woman posing as Romana to be aware that the White Guardian was sending them on various quests. And Luke noted that Romana wasn't talking to him now. Not unless she had to. Luke discreetly turned his cell phone on.

They entered the mansion and was greeted by a medium built blonde woman.

"I am the maid." The Woman said. "I will show you to the Lord of the Manor." She walked stiffly towards a door.

She opened the door which led to the library. The Doctor, Romana and Luke entered the library and looked around. It looked like an old Victorian library. A blue skinned male with short black curly hair was sitting in an old Victorian chair. While he was clearly an alien he was dressed in a smoking jacket straight out of an old Sherlock Holmes novel.

"Greetings my friends." The Male said. "My name is Caveat Teed Tiger. And this is my maid Myriad Diamond. You are probably wondering why I brought you here to this A-mazing house." He laughed as if he just told a joke.

"You brought my ship here?" The Doctor asked. "How?"

"Oh I doubt you could understand my technology." Caveat replied condescendingly. "From what I've observed, you Humans can barely build a decent spaceship. That broken down wreck of yours doesn't look like it has much longer to go."

The Doctor and Romana were puzzled. Luke thinks he knows what's going on.

"You think our ship is old and damaged?" Luke asked cautiously. "Could you describe our ship? We like to think of our ship as quite advanced."

"Well, I suppose what's 'advanced' is somewhat subjective." Caveat conceded. "What's advanced to you, is considered archaic to me."

"Still." Luke persisted. "Describe it."

"Typical Earth Rocket." Caveat said in a bored tone of voice. "Quite old. Looks like it's on it's last legs."

The Doctor nodded. He understood what Luke was hinting at. Clearly they WERE sent to this planetoid but Caveat believed he had brought down their ship down. What's more Caveat was seeing the Tardis as an old style Earth rocket. Must be the work of the White Guardian the Doctor thought to himself.

"It's serviceable." The Doctor said mildly. "So why did you bring us here?" The Doctor asked casually. "Hard up for a bit of company?"

"You're either the bravest group I've ever encountered or the dumbest." Caveat said shaking his head in wonderment. "No matter." Caveat suddenly activated a button on his arm rest. "We'll soon find out which category you belong to."

As he spoke the entire house was sealed. Including the door they had just come through.

"I love mysteries." Caveat announced. "And I also love studying various alien's psychology under duress." To Myriad. "Myriad go."

Myriad left the room.

"Myriad is going to the switch room." Caveat said after she had gone. "You three will have just one hour to make your way safely through this house and find the right room to shut the switch off. If you fail, this entire house will explode. Killing you three instantly." He held up his hand before any of the others could speak. "I know what you're going to ask. If I blow up this house, wouldn't I blow up with it? Not at all." He said with a smile. "I have a safe room which could withstand a super-nova. Well nearly. The point being, I would be quite safe and you three would be quite dead." Caveat said.

"You trap aliens here and force them to find their way through this house in order to test them?" Luke asked in disgust. "That's horrible! What gives you the right?"

The Doctor put a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Calm yourself Luke." The Doctor said mildly. "No doubt there's more to this then merely finding our way through this house? I mean it doesn't sound too difficult."

"Oh yes." Caveat said with a chuckle. "This house is a maze. I did say this house was A-mazing. Didn't I?" He laughed some more.

"And you think that some mere maze will pose a challenge for us?" Romana scoffed.

"Oh, no my dear." Caveat said in mock sympathy. "It's get's even better. In order to open the right door, you must solve a riddle. Each Riddle will be harder then the last. If any of you get separated, I will offer one small piece of advice." He said with the charm of a snake. "Keep going. Once you've activated the fail-safe switch, all traps will be deactivated and you can easily go back and rescue the lost one. There's no catches. I'm a Kardacka of my word."

"A Kardackaian huh?" The Doctor repeated. "I don't think I've heard of you lot before? Obviously this isn't your home world. May I ask where that planet might be?"

"A planet on the far side of the Pantemla nebulous system sir." Caveat answered with a smirk. "Why? Have you heard of my world? Or perhaps the solar system I am from?"

"Oh no, not at all." The Doctor hurriedly assured him before Romana could answer. "Brand new solar system. If I survive this excruciating test, I'll have to make a point to look it up."

"If we're going to do this test, perhaps we could just get on with it?" Romana suggested in a bored tone of voice.

This blase attitude of The Doctor and the other two puzzled Caveat.

"Perhaps you doubt my ability to confound even the brightest of minds." Caveat said in a smug tone. "I've won eight awards for my mystery novels on my home world. I am considered something of a genius there."

"Doesn't say much for their intelligence." Romana quipped quietly under her breath to the Doctor.

"Excuse me?" Caveat demanded.

"Oh, I was just hoping we can survive this a-mazing house." Romana joked.

"Oh, you think you three can outsmart me, then answer a 'simple little question'." Caveat smirked. "What does the name Myriad Diamond stand for?" He asked with feigned sympathy. "Now I'll grant you this IS a rather hard one but,"

"My Android Maid." All three of them answered in unison.

The Doctor noted the look of shock on Caveat's face.

"Oh so sorry." The Doctor said with mock sympathy. "We didn't mean to interrupt you. Was that right?"

Caveat is furious now.

"Okay so you three are smarter then most who come here." Caveat said angrily. "But be warned. There are many traps and false trails and not one person has ever made it out of this house alive. And I've been here for over one hundred years. And I have no intention of going anywhere soon."

"Well we wouldn't want to overstay our welcome." The Doctor said cautiously. "Nothing worse then someone who doesn't know it's time for them to go."

"Oh you'll be leaving here one way or another sir." Caveat said.

"Right." The Doctor said. "But let's just say on the off-chance we all make it out alive. What then? You let us go?"

"I gave you my word." Caveat said with a smirk.

"And of course your word is invaluable." Romana said sarcastically.

"Do you doubt me madam?" Caveat asked with raised eyebrows. "I've only outsmarted every person who has ever set foot here. Not to mention my own people. Chalk it up to experience." He said with false modesty. "By the way, might one have your name?"

"Well actually I'm still using it." The Doctor quipped. "Oh I see what you mean. Yes, I'm the Doctor. This is Romana and Luke. We'll see you at the end of the maze."

"If you make it through this house alive Doctor." Caveat began. "I'll quit this little game of cat and mouse forever. How's that for a bet?" He asked as he held out his hand.

The Doctor walked over and shook Caveat's hand.

"It's a bet." The Doctor said confidently to Caveat. To Romana and Luke he added. "Come along now! The games afoot. So which way do we go?" The Doctor asked Caveat.

Caveat pointed to the door Myriad had exited through earlier.

"The game begins as it ends Doctor." Caveat said ominously. "But remember. Each door must be opened and in sequence in order for the switch to work. No cheating or short-cuts. Now begin Doctor!"

The Doctor nodded to Romana and Luke.

"Let's go crew." The Doctor said cheerfully.

Once through the door they quickly make their way down the hallway filled with dozens of doors on each side of the long hallway.

"So which way do we go Doctor?" Luke asked as he scanned all of the strange writings on the wall.

The Doctor was carefully reading the words when he came to the words, 'Bu, sağ kapı'.

These words for some reason made the Doctor laugh.

"I think we'll find that this door here is the correct one." The Doctor said confidently.

The Doctor opened the door and ushered Romana and Luke through it.

"How did you know this was the right door, Doctor?" Luke asked. "What did those words mean?"

"The words were written in Turkish." The Doctor chuckled. "It said 'This is the right door'. But I don't expect the rest of the clues will be so easy."

"Turkish?" Luke repeated. "Why is an alien using Earth languages?"

"Oh he probably feels he needs to use Earth languages to make it fair." The Doctor said venturing a guess. "My guess is, he has millions of languages and decor for this house ready to set up on a moments notice. Did you notice the furniture?" The Doctor asked.

"You mean the fact that it was nailed down to the floor?" Luke asked. "Yes, and that his entire library was filled with some of the greatest Mystery novels from Earth's nineteenth and twentieth centuries."

"Such as?" The Doctor asked.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, Joseph Sheridan LeFanu,Louisa Mae Alcott,Anna Katherine Green ," Luke sounded as if he was prepared to recite the entire works inside of the library.

"Okay, okay Luke." The Doctor assured him. "I get the picture. Mostly famous writers. So he fancies himself a great detective. So much so that he even created,"

"An anagram of that phrase for his name." Romana interrupted.

"Exactly." The Doctor said excitedly. "So the quicker we can solve this little maze of his the quicker we can put an end to this psychotic game of his."

"You expect he'll keep his word?" Romana asked puzzled. "Because he didn't seem very trustworthy."

"I expect he won't." The Doctor said matter-of-factly. "So not only we have to make it through this maze quickly, we also have to deal with Caveat. I have a feeling his ego won't accept total defeat."

They search the room until Luke spots a small picture frame with a riddle in it.

"Doctor over here." Luke called to the Doctor.

The Doctor and Romana hurried over and quickly read the riddle.

"When is a door not," The Doctor broke off in disgust. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! I've already dealt with this stupid riddle once hundreds of years ago. Just how archaic is this delusional fellow?" The Doctor was practically whining as he said this.

"Never mind Doctor." Romana said soothingly. "We all know the answer is when the door is A-jar. So we look around for,"

She broke off when she spotted a jar sitting on a table next to the wall. She walked casually over and tried to pick up the jar but it wouldn't move. The Doctor smiled and walked over and gently removed her hand.

"Allow me." The Doctor said as he pulled the jar down which revealed wires attached to the bottom. A hidden door opened.

Everyone hurried out of the room. They started searching for the next clue for the next door. They went past six doors while carefully reading the little plaques next to each one. Most of the plaques just had the room number. Finally they came to one with the words "Не игнорируйте этой двери".

"What does it say?" Romana asked puzzled.

"It's Russian." The Doctor said puzzled. "It says 'Don't ignore this door."

They entered the room and looked around for the clue to this room's exit.

"Doctor why isn't the Tardis translating these signs?" Luke asked worriedly as he searched.

"The Tardis is tuned to my mind." The Doctor explained as he checked around various paintings. "My recent nervous break-down might have interfered with that. So it might be awhile before the translation circuits begin working again." The Doctor said soberly before brightening up. "But good thing I can speak tens of thousands of languages naturally without the Tardis translation circuits. Still a few I'm curious to learn certain languages such as Aborigine. If I want to learn a language, then the translation circuits won't work. Also if I happen to like a certain word or phrase."

"So hopefully we won't get split up." Luke said. "I've memorized some of the more popular languages on Earth such as French, Spanish, German and Italian but that still leaves six-thousand and ninety-six languages I haven't learned yet."

"Ah, here we go." The Doctor said trying not to laugh. "Oh, this one looks like a very hard one. "'What passes by and never stops?' Really? I am starting to feel insulted." The Doctor said sounding irritated.

"Well he did say they started easy and would become." Romana laughed. "Harder as we progressed."

Caveat was eavesdropping on the progress of the Doctor, Romana and Luke. He could hear them mocking him.

"Oh, so my riddles are too easy for you three?" Caveat asked out loud. "Well then maybe I ought to shake things up a bit?"

Luke looked around the room and spotted a wall clock.

"Since the answer is obviously 'time' then the way to open the hidden door must mean the wall clock." Luke said.

"Oh that is too easy." Romana said suspiciously. "Doesn't that seem too obvious to you Doctor?"

Luke wasn't sure if she was doubting him or Caveat.

"Remember whom we are dealing with?" The Doctor reminded her. "This guy is obviously not the brightest bulb on the tree. He obviously developed an over-inflated ego due to the praise of his people who obviously aren't too bright."

"I hope you're right." Romana said worriedly.

"I always am." The Doctor said impudently.

Luke climbed onto a chair to carefully look the wall clock over. He pulled it slowly from the wall and noted that there were wires leading from the clock to the wall. There is another riddle on the back of it.

"If twenty dogs run after one cat, what time is it?" Luke said with a look of disgust on his face. "Doctor this is a children's riddle."

"Let's just get going." The Doctor said. "Twenty to one." He said with a sigh as he moved the hands to the proper time of one-forty. A panel slid open revealing stairs. The Doctor, Romana and Luke hurriedly climbed them all the second floor.

Suddenly Caveat pushed a button on his arm rest and the whole floor started to shake. Several doors opened. A small explosion sent Luke flying through the third door. It shut behind him. The Doctor raced over to the door and whipped out his sonic screwdriver and tried to open the door but found it didn't work. The Doctor looked worried. Clearly he had underestimated his opponent. Romana stood by the Doctor but offered no suggestions on how they might rescue Luke.

Luke pounded on the door but the door was sound proof. Luke started looking around for some way of tripping the door but found nothing.

The Doctor was busy on the outside looking for some means to open the door.

"Doctor, remember what Caveat said." Romana said gently. "If we lose someone we should hurry on to the end and then we can come back to rescue them."

"Do you really think he'll live that long?" The Doctor shot back.

"You heard what Caveat said." Romana said soothingly. "No one would be harmed if we flip that switch. So let's continue on and come back for him."

"You really believe that snake?" The Doctor asked in disgust. "There has to be a way!"

The Doctor kept looking for a way to open the door.

"Doctor, we're wasting time." Romana urged. "Luke wouldn't want us to waste time here."

"How would you know what Luke would want?" The Doctor snapped before sighing. "You're right. We have to move on."

The Doctor raced down the hallway looking for the next clue to the next room. He found it and quickly opened the door and entered the room. Romana was right behind him covertly smiling.

Luke surmised the Doctor would move on and try to reach the switch before the hour was up. Luke figured he could just sit here for the next fifty minutes. Then he noticed that the walls were slowly closing in on him.

Luke jumped up and took his cell phone out and tried to call the Doctor. The Doctor (at Luke's urging) had started to carry Martha's old cell phone with him. But the Doctor's phone wasn't ringing. Someone had turned it off. And Luke knew exactly who had done it.

Then Luke remembered what the Twelfth Doctor had told him once, "There will come a time when I won't be able to come to your rescue. Sorry but I'm not superman. So when you find yourself in danger with no way out and no sign of me, call this number." Luke quickly dialed the number the Twelfth Doctor had given him. He waited anxiously for the person on the other end to pick up. After several long seconds...

"Hello!" Luke shouted into the phone. "My name is Luke Smith! I need help! I'm trapped in a room and the walls are closing and there is no way out!" (Pause) "The coordinates? Uh, I think we're at 3436.90 by 2356.70." (Pause) "Time period? Uh, we're in the fifty-fifth century about 5426 and I think it's Earth's equivalent to May 14th. It's a small artificial planetoid and we're in a three-story mansion. I'm on the second floor, third door on the right towards the back half of the house." Luke managed to say before he hung up his phone.

Luke hoped whomever it was he was talking to would get there in time. Suddenly the door blew open! Luke rushed out of the room and a few seconds later the walls closed completely.

"Am I glad to see you." Luke said panting a little. "I wasn't sure you'd make in time."

"That's the beauty of a vortex manipulator luv." The woman smiled. "By the way I'm River Song."

"I know." Luke said. "I recognize your picture from the Tardis. You're the Doctor's ex-wife." Luke stopped suddenly embarrassed. "Oh sorry."

River just chuckled.

"Yes I am." River said. "It's okay. I've made peace with that fact a long time ago. So tell me Luke. Is it JUST you and the Doctor or is there someone else with you?" She asked rather pointedly.

"You mean that Romana." Luke asked. "Yeah, she's here." He said bluntly.

"Thank you." River said with a smile. "I've been hunting her for some time. She is a slippery one." River paused before adding. "You do know she is not the real Romana? River asked Luke.

"Yeah, I know." Luke said. "Why are you hunting her though? She may not be the real Romana but she is a Time Lord. I think that's why everyone is treading so carefully about exposing her. But I'm pretty certain the Doctor doesn't quite believe she is the real Romana. He keeps quizzing her about their time together."

"And she's able to answer most of the questions with ease while others she's completely clueless." River guessed.

"Exactly." Luke said. "How did you know?"

"I know how she is able to answer some of those questions with such ease." River replied. "But there's no time to go into details now. You need to rejoin them. Keep an eye on the Doctor."

Meanwhile The Doctor and Romana have made their way up to the Third level and into a room. As they pass through it the Doctor can't help but to stop and admire a rare find fastened to the wall above a fireplace is a Tractor/Repellant Gun.

"Whoa, check this out." The Doctor said excitedly. "I can think of numerous ways to put this baby to work."

But as he started to pull it away from the wall he noticed it had several wires attached to it.

"How much do you want to bet that if I pull this gun down from above the mantel, the door would lock and we would be trapped here." The Doctor shook his head in amazement. "Crude, but clever." He said as he placed it carefully back above the mantel.

Romana found the next riddle.

"The life I lead is mere hours or less, I serve all my time by being consumed. I am quickest when thin, slowest when fat, And wind is the bane of the gift that I bring." Romana started looking around the room. "See a candle anywhere Doctor?"

The Doctor found a candle and tried to pull it forward but it just lifted off of the table revealing wires connected which triggered panel to slide open to reveal a plain wooden door.

The Doctor and Romana exited the room and hurried down the hallway. Suddenly they both heard glass breaking inside of the room they had just exited. They raced back to the door but it was now locked. The Doctor started to pull out his sonic screwdriver when Romana stopped him.

"Doctor how many times do I have to remind you?" Romana scolded. "We don't have time to investigate."

"How do we know that's not Luke in there?" The Doctor demanded.

Down below one floor Luke was taking to River Song. She led Luke over to a fairly high window. She pulled out a diamond laser and proceeded to cut out a huge circle near the lock. She then used her sonic screwdriver to disable it and then she reached through and unlocked the window. She then interlocked her hands and indicated to Luke to step into her hands for a leg up. Luke started to put his foot in her hands when he stopped.

"River." Luke said. "Why do you want to kill the fake Romana? She doesn't become his wife, does she?"

"No!" River said angrily. "The Doctor is and will be married to the real Romana." She chuckled at Luke's puzzled expression. "It's complicated. "But this fake Romana? She tried to kill the real one, while Romana was pregnant." River said angrily. "I WAS the Doctors wife NOW I am the guardian of his wife and family. And if anyone tries to hurt any one of them, then I make them regret they were ever born."

"You know the Doctor will stop you?" Luke asked. "He hates violence. At least that's Mother always said."

"Yes, he will." River agreed. "That's why I do this alone. Now hurry. Time is of the essence. Up you go."

Luke began climbing out of the window.

"Wait!" River said suddenly reaching into her pocket and producing her diamond laser cutter. She handed it to Luke.

"Here." She said smiling. "You're going to need this."

Romana is still urging the Doctor to forget about it.

"It's Probably a trick to keep you from completing the quest on time." Romana suggested.

"You're quite right." The Doctor agreed.

The Doctor starts to walk away from the room. But soon there is the sound of muffled voices coming through the door. The Doctor's curiosity is piqued and he is now more determined then ever to find out who is in that room. As he is heading back towards the room it sounds like the Door is being unlocked. Suddenly it opened and LUKE is shoved out into the hallway by some unseen person. And then the door is relocked.

The Doctor and Romana rushed over to Luke.

"Luke are you okay?" The Doctor demanded.

"I'm fine Doctor. Better hurry or you'll lose this test." Luke said.

The Doctor is struck by several things.

"Don't you mean our test?" The Doctor demanded.

Luke just shrugged.

Luckily the house made for easy climbing. When Luke reached the third floor he started cutting a hole in the window which was around a corner so The Doctor and Romana couldn't see him but Luke did see himself.

"And when did you change shirts?" The Doctor demanded. "And when did you get that haircut?"

Luke tried to warn his other self to stay back but The Doctor noticed the gesture and walked around the corner just as Luke climbed through. The Doctor looked from the Luke at the window to the Luke by the door.

"Obviously I'm from the future Doctor." Luke admitted. "You can't go in this room again. At least not now. Now please hurry or you will lose this test."

"I'm in there?" The Doctor asked excitedly. "Is it me, me or is it a different regeneration altogether?"

"Can't say." Was all Luke would say. "Now please, hurry Doctor."

Romana can't help wondering what is going on. She walks towards Luke B and smiled as she stretched out her arm towards his hair.

"Luke, surely you can tell us a little of what you know." Romana said sweetly.

Surprisingly Luke knocked her hand away.

"You keep away from me." Luke snarled at her as he reached behind his back under his outer shirt and in the waistband. "I'm not scared of you."

Romana is perplexed by this rather bizarre reaction from Luke B.

There is a sudden loud knock on the door behind Luke B. As if someone in there was trying to warn Luke B of something.

"You can't always believe what you hear Doctor." Luke B said cryptically.

On the other side of the door there is the sound of glass breaking and an argument between a man and a young girl. Their voices are not very clear. Luke B is the one to knock on the door hard this time.

The Doctor is getting more and more suspicious of who is in that room. As he is about to ask about the people in the room the girls voice is distinctly heard saying:

"How was I to know that the wires would have locked the door GF?! What?! What do you mean don't call you GF? Grandmother used to!" She demanded to know.

Luke B goes pale as he tried the door handle. Suddenly the door opened and a hand reached out and grabbed Luke B and then the door is slammed shut.

The Doctor moved towards the door and could make out the faint hum of a sonic screwdriver being used. The Doctor tried the handle but it was locked.

Not to be outdone The Doctor whipped out his own sonic screwdriver and tried to open the door but there appeared to be some sort of barricade in front of the door.

The Doctor resigned himself that he may never know who, aside from Luke from the future, was in that room. He heads off down the hallway followed by Romana and Luke. The Doctor can't help puzzling over who in there. Of course his future self but why go to so much trouble to hide himself from him? The Doctor wondered. He'd met previous incarnations of himself before. There was no need to hide. And he didn't mind him seeing Luke but the girl? Who was she?

"We can figure out who was in there and why later Doctor." Romana admonished. "We're only half-way through this maze."

Luke said nothing. Twice now he had seen himself in the future. It was a bit strange knowing what one will look like in the future. Luke also had a theory as to who the girl was but he didn't want to upset The Doctor. He was still a little weak from his nervous break-down.

"She called him, me GF." The Doctor mused out loud. "And for some reason, that upset my future self." The Doctor abruptly turned around to face Romana and Luke. "Why?! What does GF stand for?"

"Great Friend?" Luke ventured a weak guess.

"And why would calling me a "Great Friend" upset me?" The Doctor demanded. "No, those initials stand for something my future self knew would upset me. But what?!" The Doctor started heading back towards that door. "Something her Grandmother used to call me. But no one ever called me anything with the initials GF, did they? I mean Ace used to call me Professor." The Doctor recalled.

"Do you think she calls her Grandmother, GM?" Romana joked.

Luke felt himself go pale. The Doctor stopped cold in his tracks. He whirled around to face Romana.

"What did you say?" The Doctor demanded.

"I was just thinking if she uses initials all the time, maybe she uses," Romana stopped as she realized what she had said. "Oh, Doctor. You don't think,"

The Doctor turned and raced down the corridor. He tried his sonic screwdriver again and when it didn't work he kicked the door open. He burst into the room just in time to see the foot of a male climbing up the side of the house outside of the closed window. The Doctor raced to the window and forced it open. As he looked up he saw the shadowy figure climbing onto the roof. The Doctor started to climb out the window.

"Doctor no!" Luke yelled.

"Doctor!" Romana shouted. "Remember the time limit. We have only 20 minutes to make our way to the end and get out of this house before it kills us and every living being in it."

"I know!" The Doctor shouted back. "But do you know who that girl is?! What the initials GF stand for?!" The Doctor demanded.

"Grandfather." Luke said quietly. "But obviously you're not meant to be with your Great-Great Granddaughter yet. That's probably why your future self doesn't want you to meet her yet. It's not time yet Doctor." Luke said as gently as possible.

The Doctor looked angrily from Luke to Romana.

"If you won't help me then maybe I ought to leave you two stranded here." The Doctor said as he again attempted to climb out of the window.

But even as he attempted to climb out of the window The Twelfth Doctor used his sonic screwdriver and caused the window to drop on the Doctor's head.

"Ow!" The Doctor cried. "You won't stop me! Do you hear me?!"

"Doctor!" The Twelfth Doctor said in a loud whisper. "How dare you talk to Luke like that! I'd demand you apologize! And you stay away from Holly. Meeting her too soon will break a chain of events which would spell catastrophe for the entire universe. So you continue on Doctor. Finish this maze. continue your travels and someday soon, you will meet her. But now is not the time." The Twelfth Doctor said.

The Doctor pulled his head back inside as he rubbed it. Luke seemed a bit annoyed with him. Romana went to the window to see if she could see anything.

The Twelfth Doctor spotted River Song hiding behind a tree in the yard. She clearly had Romana in her sights. He used his sonic screwdriver to knock her weapon out of her hand. He shook his head no, to her. River is furious. River felt her blood boiling. Nothing would give her greater pleasure then killing this fake Romana. But the Doctor, as always, wanted to do things in the most humane way possible.

The Doctor hurried out into the hallway and down the hall. He led Romana and Luke through the remaining maze, and into the room with the off switch. The Doctor was about to reach for the switch when he noticed something. He brought out his sonic screwdriver and disabled a band that was attached to the switch.

"If I had just flipped the switch, it would have activated a bomb." The Doctor said. "Let's get out of here."

The Doctor rushed from the room and found himself face to face with Caveat.

"This is impossible!" Caveat shouted. "No one has ever made it through the maze."

"And with ten minutes to spare." The Doctor said rubbing salt into the wound. "Now I believe you said that if we made it through the maze you would stop luring space travelers to this little planetoid of yours."

"Who are you?" Caveat demanded to know. "There is no one in this entire universe as talented and intelligent as me!"

"You don't get out much do you?" The Doctor said mockingly. "Your so called 'Impossible Maze' was child's play. Now you will cease and desist any further kidnapping." The Doctor told him.

This angered Caveat so he walked over the wall and hits a button.

"This entire planetoid will blowup in less then two minutes Doctor." Caveat sneered at them. "I know those old style rockets take well over an hour to prepare for lift off."

"You poor delusional man." The Doctor said shaking his head. Come on. I shouldn't be doing this but inside of my space craft. I'll drop you someplace nice. Some place where the inhabitants are easily amused."

"No!" Caveat shouted. "No one will ever hear of anyone beating my impossible maze!" He screamed. "My maze is the stuff of legends! And as for my riddles. I have won awards for them!"

"Okay, well we'll be off then." The Doctor said shaking his head.

The Android Maid comes out and looks scared.

"Come with us." The Doctor called out to her.

Caveat tried to shoot her but suddenly he falls over. The Doctor has no idea what happened but Luke has an idea. He looked around and sure enough. He spotted River Song hiding behind some trees in the distance.

The Doctor helped Myriad Diamond into the Tardis and hurried Romana and Luke inside. Soon the Tardis is dematerializing.

Moments later the planetoid blew up.

Inside the Tardis Romana and Luke aren't quite sure what to make of Myriad Diamond.

"No problem." The Doctor said happily. "I'll drop her off with Kris Stewart. I'm sure she'll look after her properly."

The Doctor looked at Luke. He is clearly upset with the Doctor.

"I'm sorry Luke." The Doctor said sincerely. "You too Romana. It's just so hard to know I have family out there and not be able to touch them or even just talk to them. Share our family history with them."

"That's okay Doctor." Romana smiled. "I knew you didn't mean it when you said you'd leave us on that planetoid."

"I understand Doctor." Luke said. "Your still recovering from your nervous break down. There's bound to be a few lapses every now and then."

"Yeah, well." The Doctor said with great certainty. "I'm feeling stronger now. I have something to look forward to. My children and my great-great-Granddaughter Holly. Wherever they are."


End file.
